In the Still of the Night
by DemonLover56
Summary: Sequel to The White Tigress. Meiyuki's seeking refuge in Human World now, waiting for things in Demon World to quiet down before taking action. Kurama's promised to help her along with all the others who support her, but how will they all overpower Yomi?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Once again, I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of these characters, with the exception of Meiyuki the White Tigress Demon. Enjoy the sequel!

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Kaito had been extremely confused all day, a feeling that he certainly wasn't used to, as he had spotted an old friend walking down the street with an unfamiliar companion. Shuuichi had come from some demon tournament that he couldn't catch all the details about, and oddly enough, another young woman returned with him. He could sense her demon energy right away, still having retained his psychic powers from the ordeal long ago, and so he knew that they must have met at the tournament…but why would any demon want to come back to Human World?

She and Shuuichi hadn't left each other's sides all day, leaving Kaito to simply stare and wonder who she was as he followed them around town for a while. She was very exotic looking with her long white hair that contained deep black stripes, which strangely looked natural, and her misty gray eyes that held a sort of intrigue that he absolutely had to uncover. Who was she, damn it?

Finally, when he could take the tension no longer, Kaito walked closer. He could hear her say gently, "You were right, Kurama. It's so nice here. All the people we've met are so friendly and kind. I'd forgotten how humans can be."

He smiled and replied, "I knew you'd love it. Now are you ready to go home?"

"Absolutely," she said, adjusting her bag over her shoulder. She stopped in her tracks, however, when she saw Kaito standing in front of them, and it took her a moment to regain herself. Why on earth was this human just staring at her? "Hello," she said as kindly as she could muster. "I don't believe we've met."

"Indeed not," he replied, looking her up and down and not taking her hand to shake. He then circled her once and said, "Interesting, Shuuichi, that you disappear for almost three months and return with a new companion. Who is she, I do wonder. Surely a demon as well. Come on, Minamino, spill it."

Kurama raised an eyebrow at the antics and said, "Kaito, this is Meiyuki, but here in the Human World she prefers to be called Minaku. It's far too dangerous for her to use her true Demon name right now, so if you could please respect that wish, we'd both be very grateful. Meiyuki, this is Kaito, a very intelligent classmate of mine. He knows all about Demons and Demon World and whatnot, so we can trust him."

She nodded and held out her hand again saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kaito."

He glared at her for a moment under his glasses and then took her hand. "A pleasure," he repeated, having decided to trust her. After all, if she was one of Shuuichi's friends, she had to be on the level. "So tell me, what kind of Demon are you?"

"A White Tigress," she replied proudly. She then glanced at her watch and said, "Oh! I really have to go. Please excuse me." She turned to Kurama and elaborated, "I told Keiko I would meet her for dinner. She said she wants to talk to me about something."

"Of course," he said with a nod. "Tell her hello for me and be careful. You never know when Yomi's spies are out and about. After all, despite his loss, there are still a few demons who will follow him all of their lives."

She laughed at his cautiousness. "I'll be fine. I'm a millennia-old demon. They aren't going to get the jump on me even if they're around here. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I'll meet up with you later."

He just nodded again and watched as she walked the opposite way down the sidewalk to the Yukimura's restaurant. He and Kaito began to walk around together as the latter said, "So she's met the entire gang then, has she?"

"Yes," he replied. "She met them all when Genkai summoned us to her dojo in the forest. It seems that she and the girls of the group have become quite the good friends, which I'm glad to see. Meiyuki needs some companionship after all she's been through."

He then went through a brief explanation of how, when Yomi had taken over the southern part of Demon World, he had destroyed and devastated the White Tigers. Only three survived his rampaging: Meiyuki, and her two friends Shiro and Mamoru. The three of them together had vowed to kill Yomi and repopulate Demon World with the proud White Tiger race.

Unfortunately, it was not to be so, as Yomi first killed Shiro and Mamoru while the tournament was going on. Meiyuki had fought her hardest against him and was unable to defeat him, but she fortunately left him weak for quite some time. She planned to go after him again after a considerable amount of time had passed and she was sure that she had enough support behind her.

"Gods," Kaito said. "I never would have guessed all that. She seems like such a cheerful person."

Kurama shrugged. "A disguise she has gotten used to wearing. It was hard to see her so broken when she realized that Mamoru was dead, too. You can't imagine the pain and suffering she's gone through. While she was fighting Yomi, her Spirit Energy grew with her anger, and I would swear to anyone that I could feel it all the way back at the stadium. She's strong, Kaito, and she will defeat him in the end, I'm sure."


	2. Chapter 2

Meanwhile, Keiko sat with Meiyuki in a booth in her parent's restaurant, the two of them quietly eating until the latter looked up with a smile and said, "Keiko, what's wrong? You're kind of jittery today. You said you wanted to talk to me about something, so talk to me."

She almost knocked over her drink as she said, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be jittery. I just…Gods, I don't even know how to begin."

"Something to do with Yusuke?" she asked, and when Keiko nodded, she nodded back. "I think I understand. He told me something about wanting to go back to the Makai to train some more before the next Demon World Tournament. The boy is bound and determined to be the next ruler of Demon World."

"That's just it, though, Meiyuki," she said. "I don't want Yusuke to go back. When he returned the first time, he promised me that he wouldn't go back again unless it was a severe emergency. Surely there's something you can do to stop him, demon to demon? Please, Meiyuki, can you help me? We were going to get married."

She smiled and put a hand over Keiko's. "Listen," she said gently. "I can talk to him, but I can't guarantee that he'll come over to our side on this one. He's hardheaded; you know that. Not that I don't sympathize with you, of course. We all want him to stay here where it's safe. All I'm asking is that you don't get your hopes up if I talk to him."

Keiko shook her head furiously. "No, I won't! I promise! Please, Meiyuki! Please, will you talk to him for me?"

The Tigress laughed and said, "Of course I will, Keiko."

After they finished their dinner and walked out onto the street, Meiyuki looked around carefully, following Kurama's advice and watching for Yomi's spies. She was sure that if any were in the vicinity, she'd be able to feel their Energy right away. Feeling satisfied that none were around, she turned to Keiko as she said, "Okay, so I guess I'm off to Yusuke's apartment."

"Thank you, Meiyuki," Keiko said again. "And good luck."

She nodded and walked toward Yusuke's apartment, arriving just about fifteen minutes later. Atsuko answered the door in her usual euphoric state and said, "Sure, Meiyuki! Come on in! Yusuke! Yusuke, you have a visitor!"

"Geez, Mom!" he shouted, coming out of his room. "The whole block heard you!" He then realized who it was and instantly calmed down. "Meiyuki?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled and said, "I wonder if we might speak in private, Yusuke. We have something of a situation on our hands, and I need to talk to you."

He nodded and grabbed a jacket as they walked back outside. They stood out on the balcony, and he was growing restless as she didn't say anything. "Well?" he asked. "What's going on?"

Meiyuki glanced inside to make sure that Atsuko wasn't listening in and said quietly, "Keiko tells me that you're going back to the Makai. Surely you realize that if you do that, you'll be breaking her heart. I think she deserves better than that, Yusuke."

The young half-demon sighed, knowing now the entire reason she'd come to see him. "I know what I'm doing. I know I'm hurting her, but I've already explained that I'll be back after a few years. I have to train harder and--,"

"Did you ever think that a few years is a few years to many?" she interrupted. "Did you ever stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, Keiko doesn't want to wait for you anymore? What if she's gone by the time you get back? You'll be kicking yourself, wishing you hadn't left. Are you really so confident that you're willing to run that risk?"

He gave her an angry look while saying still calmly, "Yeah, actually. I am. I know that she'll wait. She always has. We've been friends too long for her to just give up like that. She knows that I love her, and she isn't going to just throw that away, not while she knows I still have a chance."

She just shook her head. "All right, Yusuke," she replied. She then looked him up and down and asked worriedly, "Are you going alone?"

"I planned on it," he said. "But the others from the tournament are still there, and they said they'd join my at my father's castle to train with me and the priests. When are _you_ planning on going back?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess when I feel like the time is right. I was going to let the Makai wind down a little before going back. Besides, Yomi is going to be able to sense it the moment I step through the barrier. I'd rather not run the risk of him catching me just yet. After what happened at the Demon World Tournament, I'm willing to bet that he'll kill me off as quickly as he can without too much of a struggle."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "So you're just going to hide here in the Human World? That doesn't sound like you. I hate to say it, but it actually sounds like Kurama. Is he the one making you be this cautious?"

"Come on, Yusuke," she said with a hint of indifference. "You and I both know that he's just looking out for me. I mean, for gods' sake, he's my closest friend now, the one upon whose shoulder I cried when the only two White Tigers left, the demons I loved, were killed. I guess it's really my fault that he's become so protective. I shouldn't have met him before I became so vulnerable. If only I had waited until after the tournament to seek him out…"

She paused for a moment and then went on, "Anyway, he's also older than I am, and therefore wiser. Besides, I kind of like it here. Human World is very nice and so peaceful. It's a welcome change, I assure you."

"You say that like you don't mean it," he said with a smirk. "You know, if you wanted to come back with me when I leave in a couple of weeks, you're more than welcome to."

"No," she said a little too quickly to be believable. "I can't, and I won't. I really do like it here, Yusuke, and I want to stay. Kurama's family is so kind to let me stay with them, and his mother is probably the sweetest woman (of any species) I've ever met. I want to experience more of this lifestyle before going back to that torturous world."

He nodded with a smile. "Sure," he replied. "I get it. I guess you and I are different in that I grew up here. I want to get back to the Makai and see excitement. You grew up knowing nothing but chaos, in which case I guess Human World isn't so bad."

"Not at all," she said, smiling back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Yusuke. I'm going to go home. I suggest you break the news easily to Keiko. She's sure going to miss you."

"Sure," he replied. "I'll see you, Meiyuki."

"Goodbye, Yusuke. Come and find us before you leave."


	3. Chapter 3

After leaving Yusuke's apartment, Meiyuki wandered about a little before finally deciding to go home and arriving there about an hour later. She opened the front door to see Kokoda sitting at the table doing his homework while Kurama and his mother worked on dinner in the kitchen. "Hello?" she said, walking in and shutting the door behind her.

"Hey, Minaku!" Kokoda said, barely looking up. "You're sure home late."

"I had some errands to run," she replied with a smile. She then glanced over his shoulder and said, "History, is it? What period are you studying?"

He showed her the book and said, "Right now we're just talking about ancient Japanese myths and legends. Look at this one! It's my favorite! It tells about a Demon Fox who was the bravest and most cunning of all the Demons. He could steal just about anything he wanted to, and he was great at it! But he stole something from the king of Spirit World and was chased by the castle guards. They injured him, and he was forced to come to Human World and live as a human for the rest of his life."

She smiled and said, "That's a pretty amazing story. Wouldn't it be strange if it were true? What if that Fox were wandering about in a human form right now? What if he's someone you know?"

"Wouldn't that be cool?" the human child replied excitedly. "I want to meet him for sure! If he were real, I bet he'd be the coolest human! I bet everyone would be afraid of him, and he'd be a real rabble-rouser. Nah, if he were real, we would have heard something about a guy like that. I mean, you don't think that that Yusuke Urameshi kid is him, do you? He's a rebel, and everyone's afraid of him."

Meiyuki had to resist a laugh as she said, "No, as far as I know, Yusuke Urameshi isn't a Fox Demon." She then looked up to see that Kurama had been standing at the door, listening to them talk. "Kokoda was just telling me a myth in his history book that tells about a Demon Fox who was cunning and brave and had to come here to live as a human. Do you suppose it's true?"

He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Anything is possible, I suppose. Of course, I wouldn't get my hopes up at finding such a demon. If he's as cunning as the myth says, I'll bet he has a pretty good disguise." Kokoda just shrugged, still enthralled in the story, and Kurama went on, "Dinner's ready. Minaku, would you please go upstairs and ask Father to come down?"

"Of course," she replied, walking upstairs and calling gently, "Hatanaka! Dinner is ready!"

"Thank you, Minaku!" he called back. "I'll be right there!"

She smiled and walked back downstairs to see the others sitting around the dining room table already. "Minaku!" Shiori said. "I didn't know that you were home! When you weren't with Shuuichi, I was a little worried."

With a little chuckle, she replied, "There's no need, Shiori. I assure you that I know how to take care of myself. Besides, I just had a few things to take care of before coming home."

Several minutes later, Hatanaka had come down and they had all begun to eat. Kokoda continued going on and on about the myths he'd been learning, still stuck on the legend of the Great Fox Demon. "Oh! And then there's this other one that's really cool, too! Not as cool as the Fox Demon, but definitely awesome!"

Kurama laughed and asked, "Please tell us."

"There was also a little group of three demons who called themselves the Trio, and they were the last of the White Tiger Demons. Apparently, a demon who ran their part of Demon World had killed all but the three of them, so they vowed to kill him together and repopulate their world with White Tigers. Isn't that awesome? I wonder if they ever succeeded! There were two males and one female, and the legend says that the older male and the female were in love."

While Shiori and Hatanaka encouraged him to go on, Kurama looked at Meiyuki and saw that she was holding herself together very well. She was smiling at Kokoda's story and listening with interest, as though she didn't know how the story would turn out.

"What do you guys think?" Kokoda asked them. "Do you think they ever killed the demon?"

Meiyuki cleared her throat and said with a smile, "I think they will."

Later that night, she was sitting on her bed and reading another of the books she'd become entranced in since coming to Human World when there was a knock at her door. "Come in," she called, not looking up.

Kurama looked inside and smiled to see that she had already forgotten that anyone had even knocked. He cleared his throat, and still she didn't look up. "Meiyuki?" he said gently. He walked closer and sat down beside her, looking over her shoulder and saying, "Something interesting, I presume?"

"What?" she asked, still not looking up.

He shook his head and took the book from her hands with a smile. "Come now, I have to speak to you about something, and then you can go back to reading."

She sighed deeply and said, "All right. Is something the matter?"

"You tell me," he replied. "What with Kokoda's myths and legends, I just wanted to make sure you're all right."

"I'm fine," she said convincingly. "You can't keep worrying about my like this. You have enough to worry about." She then paused a moment and added carefully, "You know, Yusuke is going back to the Makai in a couple of weeks, and he asked if I wanted to go with him. He's planning on training some more before the next tournament, and he thought I might like to do the same at Raizen's old battlegrounds."

"What did you tell him?"

She shrugged. "I told him no just because I know that would be the safer thing to do, but I can't help but feel like I need to stay strong. The time is going to come shortly in which I will have to go after Yomi, and I have to be stronger than I've ever been before."

He nodded, understanding. "You're right in that it's too dangerous for you to go back to the Makai right now, Meiyuki. That's why I will work with you here. We'll train together here, and you can retain your power that way. You know that the moment you go through the barrier, Yomi will sense your Energy and come after you."

"I know," she replied. "That's why I've decided to be strong and stay here. We'll stay here together and train. Happy?"

"Better," he said.

"Good," she replied with a smile. She then reached behind him and said, "Now give me back my book."

He smiled back and walked back to the door. "Goodnight, Meiyuki," he said quietly.

Of course, she was back into her story and wasn't paying him any attention. He just nodded and shut the door, convinced that she was going to be just fine.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been months since Meiyuki had come to Human World, and she was beginning to realize just how much she really did love it there. It was nice to relax in the calmness that these humans lived in, and a very welcome change from the turmoil she'd always known in Demon World.

She and Kurama had been practicing nearly every day to keep her strength up, and they had decided that they wouldn't step up her training to make her stronger until it was closer to time for her to leave. Of course, she found herself conflicted on that note when it came time for Yusuke to return to his father's palace in the Makai.

The parents were out when there was a rather loud knock at the door, and Kurama answered to find Yusuke standing there in his training clothes, a big bag slung over his shoulder. "Hey, Fox Boy!" he said excitedly, flashing a peace sign at him. "I wanted to come by here and give you and Meiyuki my last goodbyes until the next tournament."

"Leaving already, are you?" he asked, leading Yusuke into the living room. "Did you say goodbye to everyone else?"

"What do you take me for? Of course I did! Kuwabara could have cared less, I think, and all Shizuru had to say was 'Don't get killed and try to channel me like you did the last time you died.'"

The Fox had to laugh at Yusuke's rather accurate impression of Kuwabara's older sister and finally said, "What about Keiko?"

He shrugged and said, "I'm still convinced that she'll wait. She wasn't happy about me going back, but she knows I'll be back."

Suddenly, a voice that had obviously only recently matured said, "Hey! You're Yusuke Urameshi! I was just talking about you not long ago!" They both turned around to see Kokoda bounding down the stairs toward them. "I was telling Shuuichi and Minaku about an awesome Fox Demon in ancient legends who escaped to Human World, and I was wondering if maybe that was you."

Yusuke couldn't resist laughing upon hearing this. "That's a good one, kid! That's really funny! Don't you know that demons aren't real?"

Kokoda shrugged with a smile. "I never put anything past the realm of possibility."

"Damn, he _does_ sound like your brother, Red," he said, still laughing.

Meiyuki cleared her throat as she appeared from the kitchen and said, "I'll ask you not to call Shuuichi 'Red', Yusuke. I'll not have you speaking to my Master in such a disrespectful manner." She then quickly turned to the younger brother and said, "Kokoda, why don't you run outside for a few minutes? Shuuichi and I need to say our goodbyes to Yusuke before he takes a long trip."

After the child was gone, Yusuke said seriously, "Well, it looks like you guys are pretty well settled here. You still sure you won't come with me? You can have all the access to my dad's training grounds that you want and plenty of monks to fight. You can't get better training that that."

"Thank you all the same, Yusuke," Kurama said before Meiyuki could even consider going back yet. "But we'll stay here for a while. We can't run the risk of Yomi knowing that Meiyuki has passed through the barrier. Besides, we're both getting good training right here at home. We wish you all the luck in the world in your own ventures. Be sure to keep in touch with us."

He nodded and said, "Of course." He then shook Kurama's hand and added, "Keep her safe, Kurama." After that, he hugged Meiyuki. "And you work hard. I'll see you in the Makai soon and help you rip Yomi apart."

"Thank you, Yusuke," she replied, hugging him back. "Goodbye, and good luck. Be careful out there."

He waved one final time before going back out the door and disappearing around the block. He'd already decided to walk far out of the city before slipping through the dimensional barrier into Demon World, so it took him about another hour to get to his intended destination. After that, it took another entire day to get to Raizen's old palace, where he found all the same old monks waiting for him.

"Hey, guys!" he said excitedly, running the last several yards. "Sure is good to see all of you!"

"Mr. Urameshi," the leader of them all said as he bowed. "We're so glad you've returned. Your friends have been here for a few days waiting for you, and another joined them just last night."

"Yeah?" he said, hurrying into the palace to see them all. Sure enough, he found them in the dining hall, sitting around the big table: Jinn, Touya, Renku, Chuu, Shishi, and…Meiyuki? "Meiyuki," he said confusedly. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled as she stood and said, "I slipped out just after you did. I'm sure Kurama knows I'm gone by now, and I expect him here any time, but I couldn't resist. You were headed back, and I couldn't take it anymore. I do love it in Human World, but I miss the thrill of this place. Besides, these guys will provide me with the kind of training I need. You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind?" he said. "Of course not! Come on, guys! Let's get out there and get started!"

They all shouted their agreements and ran after him, ready to get back to fighting since things had been so quiet lately. Meiyuki followed eagerly, also wanting to stretch her muscles, so to speak. She knew that she shouldn't have disobeyed Kurama, but this was going to be the better decision for her in the end.


End file.
